Expansion and transformation of universal childcare will transform lives of Portsmouth families

On a visit today to a nursery in the city, MP for Portsmouth South, Stephen Morgan, spoke of how Labour would transform childcare for families in Portsmouth. This comes after Labour announced a radical expansion and transformation of free universal childcare benefiting more than a million children and their families.

Currently, patchy support for childcare is holding back too many parents and families. Universal free high quality childcare will benefit parents, families and children across our country.

Under Labour’s plans, 30 hours of high quality, genuinely free childcare will be available to all 2, 3 and 4 year olds, with no means testing. In a major new announcement, the party set out plans to provide additional subsided hours of childcare on top of the free 30 hour allowance. These additional hours will be free for those on the lowest incomes and, for those on the highest incomes, they will be offered for no more than £4 per hour.

Mr Morgan also shared his party’s plans to improve children’s life chances by dramatically raising standards of childcare.

Labour will achieve this by introducing a two-term plan to shift to a graduate-led workforce. This will improve the pay and skill levels of childcare staff, drive up standards to improve our children’s life chances and close the attainment gap, which is locking in inequality while children are still infants.

The city MP paid a visit to Baffins Nature Nursery based at the Stacey Centre, an innovative nursery focusing on child-initiated play and outdoor learning. With its mature fruit orchard, wild areas and raised flowerbeds, the nursery offers a unique environment for children to experience the full benefits of playing and learning outdoors.

Mr Morgan was impressed with the staff’s commitment to reducing plastic waste and learning inspired by the natural world.

Stephen Morgan MP, said:

“This is a vital and long overdue change that would transform the lives of families in Portsmouth. If we don’t invest in our children and support working families then our country can’t expect to thrive.

Currently, our childcare system is complex and chronically underfunded. The cost of childcare has risen by between 32% and 47% across England since 2010, but wages have only risen by around 16%. We need to do far better by families.

I know what a difference free childcare will make to parents in Portsmouth, visiting the brilliant Baffins Nature nursery reinforced how urgent and important this is for our city.”